Improved car-starter



M. N. WARD.

Car Starter.

Patented 0m. 26, 1869.

Jfasaa J. W

MPETERS, FHOTO LITHOGRAPNER WASHINGTON, D. C,

MOSES N. WARD, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

Letters Patent No. 96,172, dated October 26, 1869.

IMPROVED CAR-STARTER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all persons to whom these presents may some:

Be it known that I, Mosns N. WARD, of Bangor, of the county of Penobsoot, and State of Maine, have made a new and useful invention, having reference to Railway-Carriages and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure .1 is a top view;

Figure 2, a longitmlinal section and Figure 3, a transverse section of a railway-carriage or truck, as provided with myinvention, whose purpose is to enable a person, While standing on the platform of the carriage, either to effect or facilitate the starting of the carriage or its movement on the rails, as circumstances may render necessary.-

It is well known that it often requires much exertion of the horses or draught-animals to overcome the inertia of a carriage or effect its starting into motion on a track. The mechanism which I have invented, and which is hereinafter described, admits of the manual power of the conductor or driver of the carriage beingemployed to aid the tractive force in etfecting the starting of the carriage from a state of rest. It also enables the carriage to be moved short distances by the conductor without the aid of one or more draught-animals. This will be found convenient in moving carriages about within, or intoor outof depot buildings, as well as otherwise.

In the drawings- A denotes the platform, or truck-frame of a carriage, as supported by four wheels, B B B B, disposed on two axles, (l D.

Two rate-bets, E E, are fixed on the rear axle, betweenits two wheels.

Two levers, F F, pivoted to such axle, extend forward beyond the front axle. Each of such levers may be provided with a curved slot, (1, for the front axle to pass through.

Draw-pawls G G, jointed to the said levers, extend over and engage with the two ratchets pedals, I 1, pivoted to the forward ends of the two levers, extend up through holes in the plattbrm, and are connected to a hand-lever, K, by two .pi'tmen, or rods, L L, which are jointed both to the lever and the pedals.

The fulcrum of the lever (shown at b) is over and between the pedals, and is supported by a standard, M, arranged as represented.

Furthermore, extending transversely over the two levers, is a third lever, N, which, at its middle, is pivoted to the truck-frame. and at its ends is connected to the two levers by rods 0 O, which are jointed to it and the levers. This third lever and its connections, with the truck-frame and the main levers, enables both the latter to be put in operationsinniltaneously, but in opposite directions, by the foot of a person applied to either of the pedals.

Another lever, P, pivoted at or near its middle to the carriage-frame, is arranged between the two drawpawls and the pedals. Arms Q Q extend from the rear end of the lever underneath the draw-pawls. To the other end of the said lever, a lifter-rod, (I, is jointed.

' This rod projects up through a hole in the platform, and is furnished with notches, or projections e e, to en-' able it to catch upon a plate, f, fixed to the platform.

By pressing the lifter-rod downward, the lever will be moved so as to cause the draw-pawls to be thrown out of engagement with the ratchets.

A conductor, by. pressing with his foot or feet alternately on the pedals, will cause the draw-pawls to be put in operation so as to effect the revolution of the rear axle of the carriage, and, as a matter of course, will put each carriage in movement. He can also do this by applying his hand or hands to and operating the brake-lever K.

\Vhen it may be desirable to throw the pawls out, and keep them out of engagement with the ratchets, in order that they may not be in operation therewith while the carriage may be either hacked or run forward by the draught-animals, such can be accomplished 'by pressing down thelifter-rod, and booking it upon the catch-plate, as described.

I claim the combination and arrangement of the two ratchets, E E, the draw-pawls G G, the main lcvers F F, the cross-lever N, and the pedals I I, the whole being connected together and applied to the carriage-axle and body, so as to operate as set forth.

I also claim the combination of the hand-lever K and its pitman or rods L L with the pedals G U, the levers I! F, the cross-lever N, the (.lraw-pawls G G, and the ratchets E E, the whole'being applied to the carriage in manner and so as to operate as hereinbefore explained.

I also claim the combination of the draw-pawl lifting-mechanism, as described, with the ratchets and with the draw-pawls, provided with mechanism, as set ibrtlni'or operating them, so as to otlirct the rotary movements of the ran-hots.

MOSES N. \VART). Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, S. N. PIPER. 

